#BlackGirlMagic, is the social media hashtag that took the world by storm, highlighting the many achievements and historical contributions Black women have and are making!

As a part of their Diverse Intelligence Series, Nielsen released their 2017 report “African-American Women: Our Science, Her Magic”, unveiling various statistics on Black women around the U.S.

Additionally, the report addresses the meaning of the popular hashtag #BlackGirlMagic and describes the ways in which Black women are trendsetters, and how Black women are excelling in academia and as self-made entrepreneurs. Other topics in the report include, social media and the magic of sisterhood, media consumption, and the mainstream appeal of Black Content.

What is Black Girl Magic? Nielsen describes it as “an illustration of Black women’s unique place of power at the intersection of culture, commerce and consciousness.”

Black women are the economic engine of the Black community and their spending power is also magical.

According to Nielsen, “at 24.3 million strong, Black women account for 14 percent of all U.S. women and 52 percent of all African Americans.”

“Black women’s values spill over into all the things they watch, buy and listen to, and while they control the lion’s share of the African American community’s $1.2 trillion in spending power, they are doing so with an eye toward the tangible and intangible value of those dollars spent,” read the report.

The magic doesn’t end there. Black women are reaching new heights in their entrepreneurial endeavors as they are majority owners in over 1.5 million businesses with more than $42 billion in sales according to the U.S. Census Survey.

Black women over-index for going back-to-school with 64 percent of Black females who enrolled in college right after completing high school between 2013-2015. The most affluent group of Black women are ages 35-49, whose annual incomes are $50,000 or higher. However, the average Black female income is $21,729. Despite that average income being slightly low, Black women are still contributing to the total Black buying power that is predicted to hit $1.5 trillion in 2021.

These statistics speak to the resiliency of the Black woman, who, despite her hardships, still manages to support her family, get an education, and aspire to be at the top of her profession.

With statistics proven in trendsetting and growing economically, only 25 percent of Black women are married. Eight-one percent of Black women ages 18-34 have never been married and of the 25 percent that are married, 10 percent are married to someone of a different race. Forty-six percent of Black households are married couples vs. 44 percent that are single-mother families.

“African American women are leaving an indelible imprint on America’s economy, social consciousness, and cultural landscape, and they’re showing no signs of slowing as they become more and more aware of that influence,” read the report.

Visit www.lasentinel.net/opinion/the-lobby to watch an episode of Los Angeles Sentinel’s web show The Lobby, where Senior Vice President, U.S. Strategic Community Alliances and Consumer Engage­ment for Nielsen, Cheryl Grace visited the hosts and discussed #BlackGirlMagic and #OurScienceHerMagic. For more statistics on Black women, go www.nielsen.com and download the report.